Saturday, December 11, 2010

I love the holidays. It's a time of celebration, a time of giving and sharing. The hype, the commercialism - that all makes me more than a little crazy. Because when it comes right down to it, we all have the most important gift of all to give another - the gift of ourselves. Our hearts, our compassion, and our love. THAT is what holidays are about for me. Sharing of my authentic self, gift giving from my heart, and sharing my love with family and friends. Creating my own rituals and traditions, the lights, the trees, the music, the food - these are like the jewelry, the accessories, that give the finishing touches.

Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday season. Whether you celebrate Hannukah, Christmas, Kwanza or Solstice, may you find peace, love and solace in the celebration of hearts and souls during this time. Happy Holidays!!

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Ahhhh....first snowfalls. Makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. I LOVE the sound of falling snow. I love how snow makes everything quiet. I love how it brightens everything up during a very grey time of year in upstate New York. I love that it is the onset of winter, which means holidays and all the sparkle and joy. I dislike all the commercialism, but do love the gift of giving, sharing time with family and friends, and all the wonderful foods associated with this time of year. Smells waffling from my kitchen of warm soups and homemade breads. I love bundling up in my hand knit sweaters, socks, scarves, mittens and hats and running outside to make snow angels. And I love all of the wonderful memories I have of snow growing up. Getting up at the crack of dawn, packing a thermos full of hot chocolate, a lunch pack, grabbing my sled and whoever was available and willing to spend the day outside playing in the snow until it was time to go home for dinner. Day long adventures on Shay Hill, which was a one mile long dirt road that wasn't plowed in the winter. It was a perfect place for sledding. And ice skating on Pratts Falls Pond. First snowfalls always remind me of the blizzard of 1966 - which was a TRUE blizzard, not the kind we call blizzards today. Snow up to our rooftops, no power for weeks, having to dig a tunnel to get out of the house, helicopters dropping food in the middle of snowbanks for us to come and gather for our families, and sleeping in our snowsuits. Fortunately, we had a wood stove to keep us warm.

Bonfires outside, with hot chocolate and the smell of fresh pine trees while catching snowflakes on my tongue. Skiing on a fresh blanket of snow under a full moon lit sky. I can't wait for snow shoes, cross country and downhill skiing, ice skating, and snow angels, sledding on Rice Hill, and lots of winter goodness from the kitchen after a long day of snow play.